Watching Japan’s countryside rush by outside the window of a fast-moving train always mesmerizes me. There is a natural, peaceful beauty to the expansive fields of green, interspersed with homes bearing bright-colored roofs in shades of orange and blue. The land is fairly flat, so in some places you can see far into the distance, as things gradually take on a dull blue hue.

I’ve edited together a few video clips that we took from the train in the countryside of Tochigi (栃木) Japan, one of which was recorded near the Yasuzuka train station (安塚駅). This doesn’t quite capture the scenery as well as I would have liked, but I hope it gives you a taste of what these picturesque lands have to offer.

For those of you who have seen Japanese anime or films which showcase areas like this, seeing the real thing is somehow like being inside a fantasy world. To me, all of Japan is like that more or less.